ksni - Slashdot User

Turn Your Roomba Into a Household Google Bot 79

Posted by timothy on Wednesday March 03, 2010 @05:36PM from the check-the-pantry-from-the-store dept.

Wael Chatila writes "By adding an on-board computer and a camera on a Roomba, the Roomba can be used to index your home. As a bonus, you can also control the Roomba across an internet connection, and see the images from the camera — a spybot for you to check on your own home while you are out."

Officials Sue Couple Who Removed Their Lawn 819

Posted by kdawson on Wednesday March 03, 2010 @01:39AM from the revenge-of-the-lawn dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "The LA Times reports that Orange County officials are locked in a legal battle with a couple accused of violating city ordinances for replacing the grass on their lawn with wood chips and drought-tolerant plants, reducing their water usage from 299,221 gallons in 2007 to 58,348 gallons in 2009. The dispute began two years ago, when Quan and Angelina Ha tore out the grass in their front yard. In drought-plagued Southern California, the couple said, the lush grass had been soaking up tens of thousands of gallons of water — and hundreds of dollars — each year. 'We've got a newborn, so we want to start worrying about her future,' said Quan Ha, an information technology manager for Kelley Blue Book. But city officials told the Has they were violating several city laws that require that 40% of residential yards to be landscaped predominantly with live plants. Last summer, the couple tried to appease the city by building a fence around the yard and planting drought-tolerant greenery — lavender, rosemary, horsetail, and pittosporum, among others. But according to the city, their landscaping still did not comply with city standards. At the end of January, the Has received a letter saying they had been charged with a misdemeanor violation and must appear in court. The couple could face a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for their grass-free, eco-friendly landscaping scheme. 'It's just funny that we pay our taxes to the city and the city is now prosecuting us with our own money,' says Quan Ha."

One Quarter of Germans Happy To Have Chip Implants 170

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday March 02, 2010 @07:19PM from the identified-coward dept.

justice4all writes "If it means shorter lines at the supermarket, a quarter of Germans would be happy to have a chip implanted under their skin. The head of Germany's main IT trade body told the audience at the opening ceremony of the CeBIT technology exhibition that one in four of his countrymen are happy to have a microchip inserted for ID purposes."

Comment Supports missing parts of MSFT tool suite (Score 0) 200

by ksni on Friday November 13, 2009 @08:04AM (#30085326) Attached to: Microsoft Buys Teamprise, Will Ship Linux Tools

Teamprise does enable (much richer) intergration with Team Foundation Server from tools such a Borlands requirements management solution CaliberRM. This isnt explicitly about cross platform support, surely its about bolstering the TFS proposition and its very much MSFT recognising that they do not have a complete tool solution for Enterprise solution development. So from a Windows / .net development shops standpoint, Teamprise can be seen as an enabler to getting the best out of tools that are currently missing from the MS toolkit.

Comment Process black hole? (Score 0) 601

by ksni on Friday June 26, 2009 @07:47AM (#28480105) Attached to: How To Get Out of Developer's Block?

Other than minor details of implementation, why / how could you have a 'block' when writing code? Surely you have a design or requirements that at least speak to the objectives and structure of what you are trying to develop? This feels more like a process or methods black hole, rather than creative block being experienced. Perhaps this approach might help? Step back, capture and review the requirements Dig in, lay out the technical outline design Chunk the problem, into small parts that are testable and deliverable Drink tea and code the modules Integrate and test Stop moaning! you have at least have a job...

How To Get Out of Developer's Block? 601

Posted by timothy on Thursday June 25, 2009 @07:08PM from the how-do-you-feel-about-get-out-of-developer's-block dept.

Midnight Thunder writes "I have spent the past six months working on a software project, and while I can come up with ideas, I just can't seem to sit down in front of the computer to code. I sit there and I just can't concentrate. I don't know whether this is akin to writer's block, but it feels like it. Have any other Slashdotters run into this and if so how did you get out of it? It is bothering me since the project has ground to a halt and I really want to get started again. I am the sole developer on the project, if that makes a difference."

Comment Blame the US for being protectionist (Score 0) 486

by ksni on Tuesday October 21, 2003 @01:27AM (#7267718) Attached to: Farewell To The Concorde

Its a fact of life that this product was and is a world beater, but for one missing item - a US based development team.

Fact is that the response to Concorde by the US was bound to be infuenced by its 'foreign' build and the need by Boeing and others to constrain competition.

All the nonsense about noise of operations would have been swept aside if the US flag was slapped on the side.

The withdrawal of Concorde from service without a supersonic replacement will leave a massive void for travellers and manufacturers. It is a testament to the Concorde development teams that they solved the design issues at a time when it took real skill and engineering talent to produce a conventional airplane, never mind a craft that is still world beating after all these years.

Goodbye sweet bird, farewell sweet Concorde!

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